I understand where they are coming from, even though I feel this is not the way to go. But truth of the matter is that, given that these fansites accept donations, they are in fact earning money on Bioware's material.

On top, marketing wise it's risky to have a direct line with Bioware, as the information doesn't go through several channels to ensure that it's good for the game. Add to that accidental reveals, and you've got a risky relationship.

By doing this they are reducing fansites to a number of which they know are dedicated to support, rather than damage, their game.

It is harsh, but by having ties to Bioware means that Bioware endorses any advertisements that are on those websites. So these companies get the clout of Bioware without paying for it to sell their products.

Shouldn't Bioware be happy with the inadvertent advertising these "fan-sites" are giving to their games? Running a website isn't cheap; I can't believe Bioware would actually ask it's fans to shoulder the financial burden!

I realize that some of these fan sites make money, but I think Bioware should consider any money these fan sites make to be offset by the free advertising they are getting for their game.

It's probably all laid out in their business model. They have no rationale for allowing a third-party independent site to advertise for their game. The majority of their advertisement comes from TV and news publications, which are all regulated by Bioware and EA.

You need to look at in a business sense. By tying themselves to Bioware and accepting donations they are basically making money off of Bioware's name/products. Not all of these fan sites are regulated for content and things can be posted that would damage the Bioware branding. It's just a way for them to control streams of possibly harmful publicity.